Natalie Sportelli: Many hands accomplish great things

Natalie Sportelli, a junior at Christian Brothers Academy, wrote this essay for the April 19 Voices page.

By Natalie Sportelli Contributing writer

How does one describe the indescribable? Young Life and Holy Cross Church teamed up to send 48 teens, including me, and 19 adults from the Syracuse area to El Salvador over our February break. But this was, by all means, no vacation.

While we were in the community of Rancho Grande, we filled in the foundation of a new school, erected steel structures for the sides, and installed a roof. We worked in a clinic, alongside doctors, providing medical care for the people of Rancho Grande, Taura, and neighboring communities. We worked as teachers and taught English to children at their schoolhouse. We played with the children, drew pictures with our niños, and bonded as friends despite a language barrier. This language barrier, however, would become inconsequential in the development of our friendships with the people of Rancho Grande.

We left our comfort zones. Living in a Third World country was far from the comfortable living environment of our homes in the United States. We slept on floor mats in a community center and in the schoolhouse. We bathed in a river instead of taking showers. We were not texting, checking Facebook or listening to ipods. Instead, we were making a difference for the people of this community and in return they were making a difference in us.

As we drove from the airport to Rancho Grande, we observed as modern buildings turn into makeshift shacks. We spent our week seeing poverty in a world unlike our own. We saw that the children did not have many, if any, material possessions, yet they were very happy. This, I believe, is a lesson for all of us.

Natalie Sportelli with one of the children she met in El Salvador.The children of Rancho Grande were what made this trip spectacular. Every time a child saw one of us, the greetings ranged from an excited “Hola!” to a full sprint run to us for abrazos (hugs). The unconditional love that we felt entering this community was one of the most remarkable things about this trip. The community loved us for simply being there.

The amount of work we did was truly remarkable. In the United States, what we accomplished in our nine days would have cost thousands of dollars in building supplies and contracting costs. We did it with buckets, shovels, and determination. It is astonishing what a bunch of teenagers can do when they work towards a common goal. Team “Get it done” definitely got it done. The work passed with ease and of course, buckets of fun.

Although we all learned many lessons in El Salvador, one lesson stands out the most in my mind. Any act of kindness for another person, be it big or small, can have a huge impact on the giver and on the receiver. I learned that you should never underestimate what a small act of kindness can do.

I would like to thank my friend, Elizabeth Domachowske, for encouraging me to go on this trip. She inspired me to take this adventure and for that I am deeply appreciative. I would also like to thank all the adult volunteers who made this trip possible. It could not have happened without their leadership, patience, and love.

I feel that this trip changed me in many ways. Little inconveniences do not bother me so much anymore. These little inconveniences are trivial to the big picture and they do not need to be made into such a huge deal. We are all one people and we need to help each other as best we can.

You do not have to go to a foreign country to make a difference. There are volunteering opportunities everywhere, especially in your local community. We can help. We should use our gifts to help better the lives of others and in return you may find it a very rewarding experience for yourself. If the teens and adults that went to El Salvador this year can make a difference in the lives and futures of two entire communities. Imagine what could be accomplished if we all worked together. The sky is the limit, so let’s reach for it.